Machine for shaping gutters



April 22,. 1958 R. J. KONWAY MACHINE FOR SHAPING GUTTERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 3, 1954 INVENTOR. RaBEer J. kamuay April 22, 1958 R. J. KONWAY 2,831,408

MACHINE FOR SHAPING GUTTERS Filed March 3, 1954 3 Sheets-sheaf. 2

1N VEN TOR. fieesnr J Kw My 4 r ran #5) R. J. KONWAY 2,831,408

April 22,1958

MACHINE FOR SHAPING 'GUTTERS Filed March 3. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 73 7 INVENTOR.

fioasnr J A W/f United States PatentO MACHINE FOR SHAPING GUTTERS Robert J. Konway, Detroit, Mich. Application March 3, 1954, Serial No. 413,801

2 Claims. (Cl. 94-45) The machine is of a type which for its operative purposes moves on parallel lengths of rails placed along the pavement to be provided with gutters, and includes rotary means for imparting the required form to the mass of concrete out of which the curb is to be made while the concrete is in its plastic condition.

Generally, the object of the invention is to provide a, machine of high operative efiiciency. More specifically;

,Fig. 2 is a rear end view thereof as it is supported parallel lengths of rails upon which the machine is adapted to move during its operative action;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of a mechanism for adjustment of the lateral spacing of the wheels supporting the machine at the rear end thereof;

.Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of a similar mechanism as applied to a pair of wheels at the front end of themachine;

Fig. 5 is a reduced side elevational view of the machine;

.Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a rotary concreteshaping device, the device including a plurality of blades extending radially from the hub portion thereof;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of a rotary finishing device, including a plurality of radial blades each of which is provided with a smoothi g member along the outer edge thereof; I

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the device on line 99 ofFiE. 8;

Figs. 10 and 11 show a finishing drum both in side elevation and in an end view, respectively, in the numeral order named herein;

.Figs. 12 and 13 show another species of a finishing device both in side elevation and in an end view, respectiv ely, in the order named herein;

F ig, 14 is a perspective view of a wheel-supporting assembly being a part of my machine.

Similar numerals refer to similar several'views. v

The machine includes a rectangular, horizontal framework composed of two side members, 20 and 20a, and two transversely-set members, 20b, all said members being preferably made of U-shaped stock. On each side, the framework is mounted upon flange wheels for movement 'on rails 21, as shown in Fig. 2. A pair of such wheels, 22 and 22a, respectively, is mounted within a box frame 23 under the framework of the machine on eachside thereof, said wheels being located on what will be designated the front portion of said framework. The

parts throughout the shown in Fig. 2.

lengths of rails.

axles 24 of the wheels are journalled in the side members of the box frame 23.

A vertical standard 25 is on one side welded to side 20 of the framework from within, and supports at its lower end a cross-pin 26. The ends of the pin project into the opposite sides of the box frame 23 midway their ends so that the box frame, with the flange wheels there in, is pivotally mounted on said pin in the manner of a lever fulcrumed midway the length.

Rising above the top surface of the framework, the standard contains an aperture 27 for reception of a shaft 28. The latter extends across the framework of the machine and is supported for rotation at each side of the machineby a pillow block 29. The blocks are mounted upon the top surface of the sides 20 and 20a, as best At the opposite, or rear, end, the framework is supported on side 20 by a single flange wheel 30, the axle of the wheel being journalled at each end in a pair of ears 31 depending from the opposite sides of a rectangular plate 32 welded to the underside of the framework at the junction of sides 20 and 20b thereof.

Mounted upon a pair of cross-beams 33 made of inverted U-stock, and joining the sides 20b of the framework, is a motor 34 including a semi-spherical end wall 35 containing a bearing for an axial shaft 36. A pinion 37 keyed to the outer end of said shaft 36 is in mesh with a gear wheel 38, which, being mounted on a shaft 39, is one in the chain of reduction gears contained in a housing 40. The latter is mounted on another pair of beams 33, as shown in Fig. l.

The power output at a reduced speed is delivered by a shaft 41 extending from the housing 40. Axially keyed to the shaft 41 are two sprocket wheels, 42 and 43, respectively. One of the wheels, 42, is connected, by means of an endless chain 44, to a sprocket wheel axially keyed to a shaft 101 journalled for rotation about its axis in a pair of standards 102 mounted on the cross-- beams 33 and 33a, respectively. Keyed to the same shaft; 101 in a position adjoining the sprocket 100, is a pinion 103, this being in mesh with a similar pinion 104 axially mounted for rotation about its axis with a shaft 105. The shaft is disposed parallel to shaft 101 and is supported by the above-named standards 102.

A sprocket 106, driven by said shaft 105, is connected by an endless chain 107 to a sprocket 45 which is axially secured to the above-named shaft 28 for rotation there-- with. Keyed to the same shaft 41, in a position adjoining the pillow block 29, is sprocket wheel 46. Sprocket wheels 47 and 48 are axially mounted on wheels 22 and 2211, each axle having its sprocket adjoining the wheel mounted thereon. A chain 49 imparts a rotary movement to Wheels 22 and 22a by means of said sprockets; 47 and 48 under the drive of the sprocket 46.

As already stated, the machine moves on two parallel The rail-s, it will be understood, may be adjusted laterally with respect to each other, according to the nature of the road on which the machine'is; to be used. For this purpose, I have provided means in combination with the framework of the machine whereby the wheels on one side 20a of the framework may be shifted transversely with respect to the rails to a spacing corresponding to the spacing of said rails. This mechae nism shown by me is best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4..

Referring to the rear wheel 50 under the side 20a of the framework, the mechanism includes two pillow blocks; 51 and 52, the first being mounted upon the top side of member 20a and the other upon a cross-beam 35 extend ing parallel thereto. The pillow blocks serve to hold up a horizontal guiding rod 53.

Depending from said rod 53 are two planks 5'4 spaced 'from'each other by a short interposed collar 55, the latter" 3 Mi ls slidinglydisposed upon said rod 53. At their lower .51% thenlanks straddle, the wheel 50, providing aligned bearings for the reception of axle 56 of the wheel.

Passing through an aperture in the side member 20a Q the. fr mework, and located within a block member 57 directly below the pillow block 51, is a threaded T051 53. One. end of it is devoid of threads, as shown at; 59, and is'providedwithin that portion with an annular groove 60 for engagement with a ball 61 seated therein, this being a well-known means of preventing longitudinalmeans of the rod. At the last-named end, the'rod terminates, with an angular stud 62 extending laterally from said member Zilafor application of a crank. At the opposite end' the rod. 58 is located for rotation about its. axis ina hearing within a cross-beam 33, assshown in Fig. 3.

A similar mechanism for the lateral adjustment of the position ofthe twoswheel unit supporting the front portion ofthemachine is shown in Fig. 4. Reference is here made: to the twowheel unit, laterally alined with the similar two-wheel unit on side 20 of the framework. A. pain offlange wheels at the front of the machine on sidel0, has already been described. At the opposite side of the framework two wheels, 22 and 2.2a, are located within a box frame 63. The latter is suspended from shaft 28 by means of two planks 63 straddling a block 64 which is disposed slidingly upon said shaft 28-. At their lower ends the planks are welded to the side members of the box frame 63, as shown in Fig. 14. A threaded shaft 58a, analogous to that shown in Fig. 3, serves to shift the whole assembly, the planks, the frame 63, and the wheels-mounted'therein cross-wise to the rails-on-which the framework is supported. This-is done by means of a crankapplied to the angular stud 62a at the outer end of the shaft 58a. Numerals 46a, 47a, and 48a indicate sprockets analogous to sprockets 46, 47, and 48, respectively, at the other side of the framework.

It will be noted that certain elements; pertaining to the; above-described mechanism for the adjustment of the spacing between the wheelson opposite sides of the framework have been omitted from side 2011 in the drawings in Fig. 1, this having been done, for a better disclosure ofelements disposed under the top level of the framework.

Located on one side of the framework, specifically, on the side which is marked 20, is, one curb-shaping device and one eurb-surface-finishing device, these constituting the-principalfeature of my invention. A curb-shaping device, or, briefly, a shaper, is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It'includes two axially-alined hub members 65 and 652, these being spaced from each other and each being provided with an axialbore 66. One of the members, 65, will be referred to as the outer hub. Mounted on both, radially thereto, area plurality of blades 67. Each of them, is defined on one side thereof by astraight line 68,

this being the side which isin abutment Witlrthe hubmernbers 65 and"65a. The opposite or operative edge oi'the blade, as viewed with said operative edge down, isspartly defined. by a sinuous curve 6d, which curve outlines the outersurface ofrthe curb 7h fromtthe side,

ofjtheroadbedand by a straight line 71 parallel to the straight edge68. The straight line 71 above mentioned would correspond substantially to the level of the pavemeat adj i in t e curb.

At the base along the straight edge 68 of the blade, the latter is reinforced by an oblong plate 72 Welded thereto and by an integrally-formed arcuate base 73 of the same lengthas said plate, the base being welded to the periphery of each of the hub members 65 and 65a so asto jointhem together into one unit.

Serving as a complementary member to said shaper is a surface-finishing device, the structure of which is in all respects analogous to that of the shaper, with the exceptionofgthe. outer or operative edge of each of its blades. The blades 74 are also mounted on a pair of hub members and 65a, respectively; they arekept in place by braces composed of said plates 72 and bases 73, and have the same outline along their respective operative edges, but each blade 74 includes along its said operative edge a smoothing member which is generally indicated by numeral 75.

The member is of a U-shaped channel stock in which the bottom portion 76 is slightly arcuate, being drawn to a radius equal to the distance from the axis of the hub portion of the device. A in Fig. 9 to the outer end of a blade 74. This is best seen in Fig. 9. The channel member follows the outline of the operative edge of the blade, one side of the channel member being welded to the marginal portion of said blade 74 along its said operative edge.

For the operative use of the shaper and the finishing device, each is mounted axially upon a separate shaft, the shaper. on shaft: 77 and the finishing device'on shaft 78. The shafts are disposed. parallel to each other, as

shownin Fig. 1, their; ends being journalledin: two parallel bars and threspectively.

Securedby bolts 81 to the underside of the framework, specifically, to side 20 thereof, and the beam 30a is a horizontal bar 82. Welded to the underside ofthe bar, adjoining. each end thereof, is a vertical ear 83, each of said ears being provided with a bearing for reception of a rocking pin 85. One end of said pin fits into anaperture in bar 79niidway its length; the other end of the pin fits into an alined aperture in bar 80, so that'the whole assembly, that is, the two bars 79 and 80; the shaper, and the finishing device are capable of being rockedupon said pin Bothshaft 77 of the shaper'and shaft 78 of thefinisln ing device project inwardly through the bearingsinLbar S0 and are keyed axially to sprockets'86 and'87, respectively; The sprocketsare' connectedby a drive chaiirSB to the sprocket 43,.the latter being mounted axially on the shaft 41. Asalready stated in the course of" this specification, said last-named shaft delivers the" power needed for the operation of the machineas a whole.

The curb-finishing device shown in Figs. 10" and 11 ismade in the shape of a drum having an axial bore-89 for' reception of an axle on which the drum has to be mounted for rotation therewith. The drum, as seen in-sideelevation, corresponds in outline to the outline of radial'blades in the device shown in Fig. 8. The important feature of this species of the finishing device is the knurled'operative" surface 0 thereof, said knurled surface serving, during the rotation of the device, to dislodge and to remove small pebbles and similar objects from the surface of the curb after it has been formed by the shaper of my machine, as shown by numerals 92a and 92b.

circle. As'a result, the body includes a plurality 'of-wh'at might be called thick blades 93, each of the blades includ ing a leading edge 94 and the following edge 95, the" first OfLthem having-a curved contour to avoid any cutting or shaving action.

blade-issmooth.

The blades in the shaping device describedabovearei screw pitch analogous tov the helical curvature of. a

propeller.

This applies also to that type of the finishingdevicezi whichemploys sheet metal blades, as shown in Fig.9.

ln both' cases, the advantage .offusingthistype oflblade- The peripheral surface 96 ofweach It is this type of blades that has been shown lies in the fact that this helical curvature of the blades would serve to sweep excess concrete shaved off by the operative action of the edges away from the curb.

For operation, the machine is placed on two parallel lengths of rails 21, the flange wheels 22 and 22.4 on each side of the frame of the machine serving as traction wheels. If necessary, the spacing between the flange wheels on one side of the frame of the machine and the wheels on the opposite side thereof may be adjusted to correspond to the spacing between the parallel lengths of said rails.

This is effected by the mechanisms shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the first-named mechanism being applicable to the single flange wheel at the rear of the frame on the side 20 thereof. As already indicated herein, said wheel may be shifted laterally with respect to the respective rail by means of the threaded shaft 58. As the shaft is rotated about its axis by means of a crank applied to the stud 62, the wheel, with two planks 54 which support it, may be moved as desired towards or away from the opposite side 20 of the framework.

The mechanism shown in Fig. 4 is applicable to the pair of traction wheels 22 and 22a at the front portion of the framework under side 20a thereof. It is operated by means of the threaded shaft 58a for the purpose of shifting the wheels laterally with respect to the rails in order that the wheels may be properly seated upon the respective length of said rails.

When the machine has been properly set on the rails, the shaper and the finishing device will be disposed transversely to the road bed on which the rails rest, the constricted ends of the shaper and of the finishing device, respectively, adjoining the respective rail 21. This is shown in Fig. 2 in the end view of the machine, in which view only the finishing device is disclosed.

The concrete out of which the curb is to be shaped has to be deposited ahead of the machine next to the respective rail 21, either manually or by a suitable mechanical equipment. Once the motor 34 has been started, the chain and sprocket drives, including sprockets 42 and 100 as one pair and sprockets 106 and 45 as another pair, will rotate shaft 28. The latter, coupled by means of a sprocket 46 to sprockets 47 and 48, will operate the traction wheels 22 and 22a on each side of the framework so that the machine will move forwardly. Simultaneously. the sprocket wheel 43 will drive sprocket wheels 86 and 87, thereby imparting a rotary movement to the shaper mounted on shaft 77 and to the finishing device mounted on shaft 78. It will be noted that the wheels 22 and 22a rotate in the opposite direction to that of the shaper and the finishing device, as shown in Fig. 5 by arrows applied to chains 88 and 49, respectively. This opposite rotation is efiected by employment of the above-named pinions 190 and 106 shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

During the rotation of the shaper, each blade thereof will come into a position under the shaft 77 when it will be a vertical plane, in which position the operative edge of the blade will define the desired profile of the curb. Any mass of concrete above that edge will be excess material. As the blades rotate in a clock-Wise direction, each blade will push said excess material forwardly, where it will be presently available to be formed into a portion of the curb by the advancing blades. Should the shaper be of a kind in which each blade is shaped to a helical curvature, then the excess material would be, in part at least, shifted away from the curb.

The object of the finishing device which rotates in the same direction and at the same speed as the shaper is to impart a smooth surface to the just-shaped curb and to remove small pebbles, lumps, and other objects which might mar said surface. It is for this purpose that one type of the finishing device is provided with serrations or corrugations on its operative surface, and that another type is divided with slots running substantially transversely to the length of the curb.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the structure of my machine as a whole and in the individual operative elements thereof without departing beyond the range of equivalents of the features shown by me.

What I, therefore, wish to claim is as follows:

1. A curb-shaping and finishing machine for use with a rail track, the machine including a framework, a plurality of wheels on each side thereof, the wheels including traction Wheels to advance the machine upon said tracks, a curb-shaping device composed of a horizontal shaft supported for rotation about its axis by means depending from said framework in a position transversely to said track, a plurality of radial blades mounted on the shaft by intermediate means for rotation therewith, the face of each blade being substantially in a transverse plane to the tracks, each blade having an operative edge conforming to the desired outline of the curb to be shaped, a finishing device rearwardly of the shaping device, the finishing device including a horizontal shaft supported for rotation about its axis by means depending from said framework transversely to the track, a drum-shaped body axially mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, the body having, in side elevation, the outline corresponding to the outline, in side elevation, of the curb-shaping device, including the shaft and the radial blades thereof, motor means upon said framework to drive the traction wheels, the shaft supporting the blades of the shaping device, and the shaft of the finishing device.

2. A curb-shaping and finishing machine for use with a rail track, the machine including a framework, a plurality of wheels on each side thereof, the wheels including traction wheels to advance the machine upon said tracks, a curb-shaping device composed of a horizontal shaft supported for rotation about its axis by means depending from said framework in a position transversely to said track, a plurality of radial blades mounted on the shaft by intermediate means for rotation therewith, the face of each blade being substantially in a transverse plane to the tracks, each blade having an operative edge conforming to the desired outline of the curb to be shaped, a finishing device readwardly of the shaping device, the finishing device including a horizontal shaft supported for rotation about its axis by means depending from said framework transversely to the track, a plurality of radial blades mounted upon said shaft by intermediate means for rotation with said shaft, each blade having an operative edge of the same form as the blades first named, but including along its edge a member including a face extending transversely of said edge for a sliding contact with the surface of the curb after it has been shaped by the aforesaid curb-shaping blades, motor means upon said framework to drive the traction wheels, the shafts supporting the blades of the shaping device, and the blades of the finishing device.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,760,442 Robb May 27, 1930 1,933,377 Low Oct. 31, 1933 2,252,188 Krehbiel Aug. 12, 1941 

